Collapsible awning



J. A. THOMPSON COLLAPSIVBLE AWNING Aug. 9, 1938.

Filed Oct. 7, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 9, 1938. J. A. THOMPSON COLLAPSIBLE AWNING Filed 001:. 7. 1936 Aug. 9, 1938. J. A. THOMPSON COLLAPSIBLE AWNING Filed Oct. 7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY- Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFMZE COLLAPSIBLE AWNING John A. Thompson, Summit, N. J.

Application October 7, 1936, Serial No. 104,349

'7 Claims. (01. 156-15) 5 collapsed is enclosed within a substantially weather-proof casing, and which awning is attractive in appearance, afiords full ventilation, is of relatively light weight and of rugged construction, besides being inexpensive. Other advantages are hereinafter set forth.

I am aware that as set forth in Patents Nos. 312,215, 603,691 and 1,433,458 it has been proposed to provide an awning construction that is composed of rigid collapsible metal sectors. My improved awning possesses all the advantages of the aforesaid constructions disclosed in these patents while at the same time it preserves the advantage of simulating the ordinary noncollapsible type of canvas awning, both in its appearance and its relatively light weight construction, besides affording much better ventilation and being far more durable and suitable than ordinary canvas awnings for the purposes for which awnings are required.

My invention is fully set forth in the following detailed description and drawings forming a part thereof, in which latter Figure 1 is a vertical section of. a collapsible awning embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the intermediate skeleton sectors thereof, isolated;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in vertical section, of the sector shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the forward terminal sector, isolated;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section and Fig. 6 is a front elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, showing said awning in a collapsed position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section on the n line "ii-11 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section and Fig. 9 a fragmentary vertical section showing a modification; and i Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modification wherein skeleton sectors are employed throughout.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to '7 inclusive, the reference numeral l designates a U-shaped supporting frame preferably of sheet metal which is secured to a building wall along the margin of a window opening thereof by any suitable means, such for example as screws :1. Said frame has a hood member 2 and depending leg members 3 that are adapted to extend along the margin of the window frame. The front of .to said frame said hood member projects beyond the building line and the projecting portion thereof is preferably arcuate longitudinally and offset adjacent the front edge thereof to form a brim i and a shoulder 5. Said legs preferably are angular in cross-section and the sides 6 thereof taper downwardly. Lugs l are formed on each of said legs adjacent the bottom thereof, the same projecting parallel to the sides 6. Each of the lugs i has a tapped aperture 8, of a size to receive an enlarged threaded head of a pivot 9 and each side member 6 has a smaller aperture directly opposite the aperture 8 which is adapted to receive the inner reduced end It of said pivot. A nut it serves to lock said pivot in place when the same is mounted as shown in Fig. '7. 1

A U-shaped sector it, preferably formed of sheet metal and which is also of arcuate section longitudinally, is provided with a marginal flange I3 and is apertured at the opposite side thereof to receive one of the pivots 9. A flexible covering i5 of awning canvas or other suitable fabric or material is firmly secured to the hood 2 and also l2, as shown. Intermediate U-shaped skeleton sectors in, such as shown in Fig. 2, have apertured blocks ill secured to the ends thereof, said sectors being also preferably arched at the top. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to '7, the legs of each sector are slightly shorter than those of the next adjacent sector to the rear and consequently each sector is capable of sliding or nesting beneath the crown of the sector immediately to the rear thereof when the awning is opened and it is desired to fold the same. The aforesaid difference in the length of the legs of the different sectors is slightly in excess of the thickness of the wire, rod or sheet from which the sectors are formed, plus double the thickness of the awning cloth, thereby admitting of the sectors being collapsed into the position shown in Figs. 5 to '7. As shown, said skeleton sectors are also mounted on the pivots 9 and the span between the side legs of each sector is of a different width, the same gradually decreasing from the front to the rear sector, in order to V admit of the same being mounted on the common pivot 9, as shown in Fig 6.

Said awning covering is provided with side members 21], preferably being integral therewith, and the said skeleton sectors are tacked both to' the awning I5 proper and to the side members either by loops of thread, by staples or otherwise, as indicated by the reference numeral ii. A hoisting rope 22, which is fastened to the sector i2, is reeved over a pulley 23 that is mounted on the window frame and is adapted to be secured at its free end to a cleat 24.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the construction is generally the same as hereinbefore described, except that the top member 25 of the awning frame has an upwardly projecting rear flange member 26 and these members constitute the bottom and rear end'respectively of the storage receptacle. Also the awning covering 85' is fastened to the front edge of the member 25 and to the upper edge of the sheet metal sector 21 which latter has an arched crown member 28 and an integral flange member 29 that projects inwardly therefrom and which two latter members constitute the top and front,.respectively, of said storage receptacle when the awning is in a collapsed condition. Moreover, the side legs of the front sheet metal sector 21 in this modification are of greater length than those of any skeleton sector to the rear thereof and the length of the legs of each successive skeleton sector to the rear of the sector 21 progressively diminishes with respect to the length of the other sectors in front of the same when the awning is in an open position.

In Fig. 10, the modification therein shown has a skeleton front or end sector in lieu of a sheet metal sector and preferably the covering in this construction terminates in a scalloped edging 3!}.

In order that the various sectors of my collapsible awning may be folded as indicated in Figs. 5, 6 or 7, it is essential that the side members 28 terminate a short distance above the lower end of the legs of the various sectors, so that the distance between two adjacent legs of two adjacent sectors, measured along the lower edge I), will be at least equal to the width of one of such legs, otherwise it is impossible to effect the proper and complete collapse of the sectors'due to the fact that as the fabric sides 20 are tacked at intervals along such edge 17 to the different legs of different sectors, such fabric will restrain the complete nesting of the sectors unless there is sufficient play, as aforesaid, to allow the leg of one sector to move into longitudinal alinement with the leg of the next sector to the rear. As is apparent from the illustrations in the drawings of my improved awning, the spacing of the crowns of each sector from the next adjacent sector approximate the width of the crown of each sector.

My improved awning possesses all the advantages of the ordinary canvas awning which is usually mounted on a rectangular frame, besides being capable of being collapsed and stored within a receptableor casing that is formed in situ upon the collapse of the awning on the engagement of the flange it of the metal sector I2 with the shoulder of the hood. The lateral portions of the metal flange l3 of the sector l2 serve to assist in the collapsing of the awning, since as the sector i2 is elevated from its position when the awning is open, said lateral portions will successively abut against the side'legs of the sectors to the rear and supplement the pull of the webs of canvas intermediate two adjacent sectors caused by the pull of the hoisting rope. However, said intermediate webs of thecovering will of themselves posititvely transmit the pull exerted through the hoisting rope to each sector and effect the complete collapse of the awning, even though as illustrated in Fig. 10, a skeleton sector is employed as the front sector.

Owing to the support afforded to the awning fabric by the arched sector members and also to the diminishing length of the legs of the respective sectors, my improved awning is of arched contour both in vertical and transverse section. and as a consequence full ventilation and much better protection against the heat of the suns rays is afforded than when an ordinary rectangular awning frame is employed and furthermore, my improved awning is of an unusual and strikmg appearance.

The fact that my awning may be stored on the outside of a building and yet be fully protected against the elements is not only an advantage insofar as awnings for office buildings having a multitude of windows is concerned, since it eliminates the unnecessary labor of hanging and removing the awnings at the beginning and end of the summer season, but also it enables one to utilize the awnings when desired during the winter and especially for the protection of expensive tapestry and furniture from the action of the suns rays in the winter time, at which time the same are even more destructive to coloring matter in fabrics and furniture than in the summer time.

Various changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as covered thereby.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible fabric awning, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of sector-like supporting members each having a crown portion and a pair of depending legs, the lower end of all of said legs on the same side of the frame being secured to a common pivot, pliable covering means secured to the crown of each sector in such a manner as to afford an unsupported web of such covering means between two adjacent sectors when the awning is in an open position, the said crown portions being respectively of a width to serve as an effective support for said webswhen the awning is in a closed position and thereby maintaining the same substantially flat transversely of said crown portions and the unsupported portion of such covering means between any two adjacent sector-like members being not substantially greater than the width of an adjacent crown of a sector-like member and means for effecting the collapse of said awning into a small compass.

2. In a collapsible awning, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of supporting sector members pivotally secured thereto, said sectors each having a pair of oppositely disposed legs and an intermediate crown portion, the legs of adjacent, intermediate sector members being of diminishing length with respect to that of the legs of an adjacent sector and the span between the lower end of the legs of each sector, except that of the sector having the longest span, being less than that of a sector mounted immediately adjacent the same and pliable fabric covering means secured to the crown of each sector and said fabric being unsupported intermediate the crowns of two adjacent sectors when the awning is in an open position, the said crown portions being respectively of a width to serve as an effective support for said webs when the awning is in an open position and thereby maintaining the same substantially flat transversely of said crown portions and the unsupported portion of such covering means between any two adjacent sector-like members being not substantially greater than the her and means for hoisting said awning when desired.

frame, each member having a crown portion; and

pliable covering means secured to the crown portions of each sector in such a manner as to form intermediate unsupported webs of such covering means being respectively of a width to serve as an efiective support for the saidwebs when the awning is in a closed position and thereby maintaining the same substantially flat transversely of said crown portions and the unsupported portion of such covering means between any two adjacent sector-like members being not substantially greater than the width of an adjacent crown of a sector-like member.

4. In a collapsible awning, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of sector-like supporting members pivotally secured to said frame, each member having a transverse crown and a pair of depending legs, the length of the crown of each member and the length of the legs of each member being diiferent from those of any adjacent member, a pliable covering secured to the respective crowns in such a manner as to maintain said sector-like members in a spaced relation with respect to each other when the awning is in an open position and means for hoisting said awning and the unsupported portion of such covering between any two adjacent sector-like members being.not substantially greater than the width of an adjacent crown of a sector-like member.

5. In a collapsible awning, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of sector-like supporting members pivotally secured to said frame, each member having a transverse crown and a pair of depending legs, the length of the crown of each member and the length of the legs of each member being different from those of any adjacent member, pliable covering means secured to the respective crowns in such a manner as to maintain said sector-like members in a spaced relation with respect to each other when the awning is in an open position, co -operating means, carried by said frame and one of the end sector-like members of 'said awning, adapted to completely encase said awning when the same is in a collapsed condition and means for hoisting said awning and the unsupported portion of such covering between any two adjacent sector-like members being not substantially greater than the width of an adjacent crown of a sector-like member.

6. In a collapsible awning, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of sector-like supporting members pivotally mounted about a common axis on said frame, each member having a transverse portion of skeleton conformation, and a pliable textile fabric covering means secured to the said transverse portion of each sector and serving to positively maintain the same in a spaced relation when the awning is open and the unsupported portion of such covering between any two adjacent sector-like members being not substantially greater than the width of an adjacent crown of a sector-like member.

7. In a collapsible awning, the combination comprising a frame having a transverse hood and a pair of lateral, depending arms, a plurality of sector-like supporting members mounted on common pivots that are mounted in said depending arms adjacent the bottom thereof, said members each having a crown portion and a pair of opposing lateral legs which differ in length from those of any adjacent sector-like member, pliable fabric covering means secured at intervals both to said crown portions and to the said lateral legs of the various sector-like members, said covering terminating a short distance above said pivots and the spacing between the legs of any two adjacent sector-like members measured along the lower edge of said covering carried thereby being at least the width of a single leg of one of such sector-like members and the unsupported portion of such covering between any two adjacent sectorlike members being not substantially greater than the width of an adjacent crown of a sector-like member.

JOHN A. THOMPSON. 

